OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - July 6, 2012) - The Honourable Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety, and the Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, made the following statement on the sentencing of Mikael Jim Prone. He was sentenced today in Vancouver to 48 months, with credit for eight months served, on charges under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, including one count of human smuggling and other counts related to possessing, importing, exporting or dealing in documentation used to establish a person's identity.

"Human smuggling is a despicable crime and a deliberate abuse of our immigration system and refugee process. Canada has an internationally recognized fair system for providing refuge for those fleeing persecution in their home country, and to maintain the integrity of our refugee system, it is important that individuals found guilty of abusing our laws are held responsible for their involvement in these crimes."

For more information on this case, visit the Canada Border Services Agency: http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/media/prosecutions-poursuites/pac/2012-07-06-eng.html

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